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Though I watch the show for entertainment, the numbers don't add up. When you look at the amount of very expensive heavy equipment they all use compared to the amount of gold they supposedly find, none of the three could possibly be covering all their expenses. TV revenue has to be supplementing operating costs so it is no surprise dramatic value outweighs good business practices throughout this show. I would rate this show maybe 5% reality and 95% dramatic interpretation.

You can't count the entire value of the equipment against just one season's worth of gold. Most of that is leased, and Parker's stuff was long ago paid for. One clean-out of QC/IR gold this year more than covered the lease payments on all of their equipment for the entire season.

My biggest issue is their continual use of the term "gone forever" when discussing gold the gets washed out of the sluice box or lost out the end of the trommel.

It depends on how they -or if they - stored the tailings. Professional miners save all of their tailings, but since Todd & Co. are neophytes, it's a valid concern. But for all we know, they might have flushed them down the river.

There are many mining operations that are now reprocessing gold and silver tailings in light of today's increased values. Most - if not all - are recovering gold and silver left for lost a long time ago due to the then relatively high recovery costs. That picture has changed rather dramatically.

So if they (Todd, et al) have been diligent, responsible miners and have saved and stored their tailings, they'll make their goal. Unfortunately, there has been no mention thus far of reprocessing the QC tailings or if they even exist. I suspect they do have them and that the producers are probably saving the news for the Finale.

My guess is that even IR tailings have some gold still in them. They, too, have had multiple trommel breakdowns and have mentioned the possibility of lost gold because of them.

And one more indicator is that Season Four has already started filming. I really doubt that Discovery would renew a losing reality show.

Anybody else feel uncomfortable watching the live show? The producer was really trying his hardest to create drama where ever he possibly could and Parker is forestalling going to college to run a brand new mine? The whole thing was a bit jarring and took me out of the actual show.

I'm very surprised Tony Beets didn't let out a single curse once during the live interviews. I was sure he would lol

Anybody else feel uncomfortable watching the live show? The producer was really trying his hardest to create drama where ever he possibly could and Parker is forestalling going to college to run a brand new mine? The whole thing was a bit jarring and took me out of the actual show.

I'm very surprised Tony Beets didn't let out a single curse once during the live interviews. I was sure he would lol

I heard a bleep when Tony was being interviewed, so I guess he snuck one in there. As for the rest of the show, it was a monumental let-down.

Todd didn't get his 1,000 ounces and yet he was given credit for finding the mother lode ... as if 800 ounces constituted a mother lode. On top of everything, two of his guys said bye-bye ... although they seemed somewhat interested in Parker's offer. Hell of a mother lode, uh? ... but then, Discovery never defined the term for us.

Parker didn't get much in the way of "take home" gold. I think he barely covered his expenses. Mom and Dad as much as said they would finance his operation up north. He now becomes just another gold bug out for the big bucks.

I can't remember what Fred did, but it wasn't too impressive. I sorta hope he and his bunch get replaced next season.

As much as he tried, Christo just couldn't get much drama out of anyone. Todd was weepy most of the show, so I guess there was "some" drama.

For some reason I thought hitting the mother lode meant one of the teams would find an unexpectedly large gold deposit. I didn't think it was just a title reward given by Discovery. It's a bit unfair that Hoffman's got it. Their crew is more than twice the size of the other two crews put together.

For some reason I thought hitting the mother lode meant one of the teams would find an unexpectedly large gold deposit. I didn't think it was just a title reward given by Discovery. It's a bit unfair that Hoffman's got it. Their crew is more than twice the size of the other two crews put together.

I think most of us thought that way too. I'm now thinking that Discovery was gambling on one of the teams hitting a rich vein. When that didn't happen, we got what we saw last night.

From the lawsuits about the other "reality" shows that are going on being fixed (planting of special items, etc. in the case of A&E), would not doubt it in the least that producers had to toss something into the mix so viewers would think there was some legitimacy in the show. In season #1, everyone on the show would be financially ruined if the mother-lode wasn't hit. Duh, they were all, most of them, back for season #2 and nobody was homeless nor financially ruined, but the same story was on again, if they didn't hit it big, they were all bankrupt. Didn't hit billions in ore, but they were back once again in season #3, same song, next verse, words are the same, but its only getting worse.

By repeating the same old doomsday story each season, kinda made me wonder just how naive the producers think the viewers are. There is no doubt in my mind that next season the story will be the same as in season #1.

All the hype of this show reminds me of "Whale Wars" where the narrator's script keeps talking about the "Japanese Navy" coming after them, when, in fact, Japan is totally banned from having any military of any kind since the truce ending WWII. Guess the producers on that show are hoping the viewers don't know that tidbit, huh?

From the lawsuits about the other "reality" shows that are going on being fixed (planting of special items, etc. in the case of A&E), would not doubt it in the least that producers had to toss something into the mix so viewers would think there was some legitimacy in the show. In season #1, everyone on the show would be financially ruined if the mother-lode wasn't hit. Duh, they were all, most of them, back for season #2 and nobody was homeless nor financially ruined, but the same story was on again, if they didn't hit it big, they were all bankrupt. Didn't hit billions in ore, but they were back once again in season #3, same song, next verse, words are the same, but its only getting worse.

By repeating the same old doomsday story each season, kinda made me wonder just how naive the producers think the viewers are. There is no doubt in my mind that next season the story will be the same as in season #1.

All the hype of this show reminds me of "Whale Wars" where the narrator's script keeps talking about the "Japanese Navy" coming after them, when, in fact, Japan is totally banned from having any military of any kind since the truce ending WWII. Guess the producers on that show are hoping the viewers don't know that tidbit, huh?